Heartbeat
by startnowdobetter
Summary: Set in 2014, what if Peter had been at the baby's first scan?
1. Scan

**Set on the 12th of May 2014, when Carla had her 12 week scan. I thought it might be nice to have a little one shot of Peter at the scan too, supporting his wife. As you can probably guess, 13/14 was my favourite Carter era so far, so a lot of my work will be based around then. This was supposed to be a one shot, but turned into two episodes worth of scenes! Not that I'm sorry about it! Enjoy.**

"I don't know why you're so worried love." Peter told his wife at they sat in the car, killing time before the appointment.

"You know why." Carla told him, as she caught his eyes in hers. He could blatantly see the fear in her eyes. "What if there's something wrong?" She asked him softly. Carla had been awake all night worrying how today would go, with Peter giving her lots of reassurance. Despite her husbands sipport, she was still feeling apprehensive.

"I'm sure there won't be." Peter reassured her, taking a hold of her hand.

"I know that I've put you under a lot of stress and you could have done without it..." Peter began.

"No Peter." Carla interrupted. "It's all in the past. We've just got to look to the future now." She told him, smiling softly as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I could just spend all day here with you." Carla told him, her voice lighter as she seemed a bit more relaxed and at ease. She gently lifted her head up so she was sitting up straight, knowing that if she spent any longer resting on Peter's shoulder, she would probably fall asleep.

"Same here love, but we're going to miss the appointment slot if we're not careful." Peter told her, looking at the clock on his phone.

"It was not being careful that got us here in the first place." Carla smirked.

"But I thought..." Peter began, not quite sure what Carla was getting at, and being more than certain that his wife had been on the pill.

"Joke!" Carla smiled, holding her hands up in mock surrender, rolling her eyes at the same time.

"You know I love you, don't you?" He asked her, as she turned to face him, kissing him passionately before gently breaking their kiss apart.

"Come on, other wise we will be late." She told him before getting out of the car.

-**CS**-

"So go on then... boy or girl?" Peter asked her, smiling brightly in an attempt to reassure and distract his wife from worry.

The pair were sat in the ward, which had a tiny waiting room, if you could even call it that. It was made up of five wooden chairs and a water cooler, in an tiny alcove opposite the room they were waiting to go in to.

"As long as we have a healthy baby in six months time, I don't mind either way." She told him smiling back. "Why, what would you rather have?" She asked him. "Either would be a blessing love, you know that..." Peter started. "But?" Carla asked smiling, realising that Peter had thought about it and had a preference. "I think it would be nice to have a girl." He told her, smoothing his thumb over her hand. "We already have a boy, don't we. And just think if it's a little girl, she'll love you more than anything. She'll grow up to be just like you." He told his wife.

"God help her." Carla joked.

"Beautiful, clever, kind..." Peter listed, smiling intently at his wife. He wanted her to know how beautiful she really was, it was at times like this, when she was at her most vulnerable, that he wished she could see herself through his eyes.

"And what if the baby is a boy?" She asked him, her eyebrows raised slightly with a smirk, trying to hide the fact that Peter seemed so excited for the future and had already thought about what their child might be like.

"If it's a boy, we'll love him no less." Peter reassured Carla, planting a kiss in her hair. "Simon will have to teach him to play football mind, because I'll be way to old." He laughed. But Carla didn't find their age all that funny.

"Peter, are we too old for this?" Carla asked him seriously, but was met with nothing but a light chuckle from her husband. "Peter, I'm serious, what if we can't handle the late nights and early mornings, the feeds, nappy changes."

"Carla, stop panicking." Peter interrupted. "All of those things you just mentioned have nothing to do with age. We are going to care for and love this baby so much. You're going to be the best mum in the world." He reassured her, wrapping his arm around her waist so that his hand came to rest on her stomach. He planted another kiss in her hair before she leaned into him.

-**CS**-

"Is everything alright?" Carla asked the sonographer almost as soon as the younger woman had placed the transducer on Carla's abdomen.

"Give her chance love!" Peter said, as he began to play with Carla's hair. Knowing that it soothed her, he thought that it might bring her some reassurance, which judging by how tense his wife looked, she needed right now.

"I'm just getting in position, they can't play hide and seek when they're this size." The woman smiled.

"See, stop worrying." Peter told Carla, as she reached out for his other hand. He took her hand in his almost immediately, sensing her fear. Peter kissed the back of his wife's hand as Carla turned to him.

"It's going to be fine." He mouthed to her before she turned back to look at the sonographer.

"There we are." The lady said, turning the screen around so that the parents-to-be could see their baby. "Can you see the heartbeat there? It's nice and regular." She explained, pointing, as tears began to fill Carla's eyes.

"Sorry." Carla apologised as she wiped the water from around her eyes.

"Don't be silly, it's natural, I've had people balling their eyes out in here, Dads included." The woman reassured Carla in a friendly tone, smiling as she nodded towards Peter, who had let a silent tear run down his left cheek.

"She's beautiful." Peter muttered. "Just like her mummy." He added, planting a soft kiss in Carla's hair before drying his eyes on the back of his hand.

"Can you see the outline of the head there?" She asked the couple, as Carla nodded, Peter just mesmerised at seeing his baby for the first time.

"And there's a hand, up by the chin." The sonographer pointed out.

"Hi baby." Carla muttered under her breath, but she was just loud enough so that Peter could hear her, as a tear fell down her left cheek.

"See, already a brilliant mum." Peter smiled, wiping the tear away. Carla turned to him and smiled before he caught her lips in a kiss. Carla almost immediately turned her gaze back to the screen, not wanting to waste any of the time they had to see their baby.

"I'll take a picture" The sonographer stated, smiling at the couple.

"So is everything ok?" Carla paused for a minute to ask. In all the excitement of seeing the baby that she and Peter had created, she hadn't thought to check how the baby was progressing.

"I just need to take a few measurements, work out how many weeks you are. But so far so good." She smiled, relaxing a little, as she sighed in relief.

-**CS**-

"See, I told you. Absolutely nothing to worry about." Peter told his wife as she walked back down the corridor and towards the main entrance. He had engulfed her hand in his as they made it back to their car.

"Now we can break the news." Carla smiled. "We have a healthy baby Barlow on the way." She beamed.

"Come here." Peter told her as she leaned into him, allowing him to plant two firm kisses on her temple. "I love you so much." He told her. "I love you too mister." She told him back, as he began to lead her out of the building once more.

-**CS**-

"So do you have any sort of idea on order. Who shall we tell first?" Carla asked her husband as she came from the bathroom.

"Well, obviously Michelle already knows." He smiled knowingly at Carla, as she smiled back at him softly. "How about we tell Simon first?" Peter asked, as he was making himself and Carla a cup of tea.

"That sounds like the start of a plan." Carla smiled, it was the first time she had really heard her husband talking about telling people. "I'll tell you what, why don't we just tell all the family at once." She suggested, as reaching inside of her bag and retrieving the scan photo.

"What do you mean, love?" Peter asked her, walking over to where she was sat on the sofa, now looking at the picture of their baby, a wide smile on her face.

"Well, ask Leanne to drop Simon round at your Deirdre's and call Rob and Tracy over there at the same time." She suggested, as Peter placed the cups on the coffee table and sat next to Carla, placing a soft hand on her stomach, knowing that she secretly loved when he did that.

"That's a good idea." He told her as she leaned into him.

"How do you think they're going to react?" Carla asked him.

"I'm sure they'll be over the moon." Peter answered casually.

"Or maybe we should tell Simon first, on his own, make sure that he feels included, and then tell everyone." Carla worried as Peter gently began smooth his thumb over Carla's stomach.

"Stop worrying about it. We can tell them all in whichever order, however you want to." Peter reassured her.

"Then there's the factory lot." Carla continued, sighing lightly. "We should tell them when they're all together." She added.

"Well then, we'll tell Simon, head over to my Dad's place. Tell family, call my Dad, tell him tonight and we can tell the factory lot in the morning." Peter told her. "See, there's nothing to worry about." He smiled.

-**CS**-

"Lea, we have something we need to tell Simon, and well, I suppose you're going to find out at some point..." Peter began nervously as Simon was sat down on the sofa, Carla getting changed in the bedroom. Finally daring to wear something tight fitting after two months of wearing nothing but baggy tops and jumpers.

"If you're about to tell me that you and Carla have split up." Leanne told him, jumping to conclusions.

"No, not at all!" Peter smiled, as Carla came to where they were stood by the front door.

"Carla's pregnant!" He beamed, keeping his voice low so that Simon didn't hear the news just yet.

"Oh wow, congratulations!" Leanne smiled brightly, her voice matching Peter's in volume. It wasn't something that she thought she would hear, but she was happy for the pair nonetheless.

"We just thought we should tell you before we tell Si, in case he doesn't take it to well. So that you're in the loop." Carla told her, glancing over at her stepson, who was still watching tv, blissfully aware of what the adults in the room were talking about.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, excited more than anything else. This is great news, I'm really happy for you both." She told them.

"Thank you." Carla smiled.

"Right then, I'll leave you to it. Are you telling anyone else, or?" Leanne asked, wanting to know whether the couple wanted to keep it a secret from everyone else.

"We're telling everyone by lunchtime tomorrow, so you won't have to keep it a secret for too long." Peter smiled.

"Alright. Well, I'll see you later tonight Si." Leanne called as she left the flat.

"Bye Mum." He called, barely turning around to see his mum off. his eyes still glued to the TV.

It was around half an hour later. The couple had waited until Simon was settled to tell him.

"Si, could you turn the telly off please, we have something we need to tell you." Peter asked, as they sat down next to the ten year old, Carla one side of him, Peter the other.

"What is it? Have you been drinking again?" Simon asked, looking up to his dad.

"No son." Peter smiled, as he nodded at Carla.

"How would you like a little brother or sister?" Carla asked him as the child's eyes brightened, immediately knowing what his stepmother was eluding to. Simon hugged Carla tightly as Peter chuckled.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Carla smiled, as Simon sat up straight.

"When?" Simon asked Carla.

"The beginning of November." She smiled back.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" He asked.

"We don't know yet, son." Peter answered, ruffling his hair lightly.

"Will I have to share my room?" The boy asked his Dad.

"Blimey, twenty one questions." He joked in return.

"You won't have to share your room, not if you don't want to, and the baby will probably sleep with us when it's first born." Carla smiled as she reached for Peter's hand, which was now on the back of the sofa, just behind where Simon was sitting.

"Will I have to stop coming here and staying over?" He asked.

"No son, definitely not." Peter reassured him.

They spent the rest of the evening watching a film with Simon, letting him know that the new baby wouldn't be replacing him and just enjoying the time they had together before he went back to Leanne's because it was a school night.

-**CS**-

"Trace, we've been summoned." Rob told her, having just received a text from Carla telling him to come over to number one.

"Why?" She asked, finishing the rest of her drink as Rob grabbed her coat.

"No clue, but Carla just sent me a text, asking us to come over to Ken's." He told her.

"So she calls and we all just come running?" Tracy asked, with a sour expression.

"Not now Trace, eh? What if it's something important?" Rob asked putting his coat on.

"Oh it won't be." Tracy told him. "You're at her beck and call." She added, this wasn't the first time that she had appeared jealous of Rob's relationship with Carla.

"It's not like that, I'm just there if she needs me, and she's said that she needs me." He explained briefly. "Well, she's said that she needs both of us." He added. "Hey, what if it's Peter, what if he's fallen off the wagon again?" Rob asked her.

"He wouldn't." She defended.

"Wouldn't he?" Rob questioned, before Tracy grabbed her coat and the pair head to number one.

When they arrived, they put their coats down on the banister.

"Oh hello, I thought you two were having a drink." Deirdre greeted her daughter and future son in law.

"We were until Carla told us to come over here." Rob explained, before he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Tracy answered the door to Carla and Peter. "Sorry, Simon was a bit of a nightmare going home." Peter apologised as he followed Tracy and led Carla into the living room.

"So come on then, what is this all about?" Tracy sighed, not enjoying the fact that her and Rob's drinks had been cut short.

Deirdre sat down on the chair that was at the head of the table, with Tracy going to sit down next to Rob on the sofa. The married couple stood in the doorway, with Peter behind Carla,

"Well, we wanted you all to be among the first to know..." Peter began, as he placed his hands on Carla's lower stomach.

"We are going to have a baby!" Peter exclaimed, as Deirdre erupted in a joyful shriek. She immediately rushed over to the pair, engulfing them in a hug. "That's brilliant news!" She cheered, holding Carla at arms length and noticing a slight bump, that if she hadn't been told was there, she wouldn't have noticed.

"How far gone are you?" Rob asked, getting up from his seat.

"Twelve weeks." Carla told him , as he came up to hug his sister.

"Well, congratulations, yeah?" He offered as he released from the hug.

"I suppose it's something worth celebrating." Tracy called out, not moving from her place on the sofa.

"Thank you." Carla smiled, as Rob shook Peter's hand.

"Have you been for a scan yet?" Deirdre asked Carla as everyone sat at the table.

"Yeah, I had one this afternoon." Carla told her.

"And how did it go?" Deirdre asked, wanting to know that all was well with her newest grandchild.

"Really good." Carla smiled, as she picked up her bag and pulled out the scan photo they had been given.

"Strong and healthy heart beat, baby's healthy, Carla's healthy and it's all going well." Peter expanded, as Carla handed Deirdre the picture.

"Well, that's excellent news." Deirdre told them. "And how are you feeling Carla?" She asked her. "Yeah, I'm good thanks." She smiled, as Deirdre, took a hold of her hand.

"Have you phoned dad?" Tracy asked Peter.

"No, not yet."

"Well do you want to use the phone here. I'm sure he will be so happy for you both." Deirdre told him.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea baby." Carla said. Placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Alright then, yeah. I'll do it now." He smiled, getting up from the table and going over to where the phone was in the hallway.

Deirdre followed Peter, so that she could speak to Ken after he had been told, and Tracy went into the kitchen to get a glass of wine, having her drinking session in the pub cut short. Rob moved seats and came to sit next to Carla.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, a small look of concern etched onto his face.

"Yeah." She smiled back in response, trying to put her brothers mind at rest.

"It's just, well... You said you never wanted kids and now..." He reminded her.

"Well, I was a bit unsure at first but Rob, I'm so sure." She smiled.

"As long as you are?" He checked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"I am." She confirmed, flashing him a certain smile.

"Well, if you need anything, you know where I am." He told her, as she embraced him in a hug.

"Thank you." She muttered into his ear.

"Hi Dad, it's me." Peter greeted down the phone.

"Peter, it's great to hear from you!" Ken exclaimed, not expecting his son to be on the end of the phone.

"I kept meaning to call, but you know how it is. How is Canada?" Peter asked, as he signalled to Carla to come over and join him as he revealed their secret to his father.

She got up from where she was, leaving Rob on his own at the table.

Deirdre smiled at the couple. After not believing that it could ever last, they, against all odds, had proved her wrong. Peter wrapped his arm around Carla's stomach, something which seemed to comfort her a great deal. She placed her hand on top of his, as he gave her a soft smile.

Ken had just finished talking about how he was finding the foreign country when Peter decided that now was the perfect time to tell him why they were calling. Carla seemed perfectly happy and more than ready, and Deirdre was waiting to speak to her husband!

"Well, Dad, I didn't just call for a chat, nice as it is." Peter explained, as Carla chuckled slightly.

"Oh no?" Ken questioned in anticipation.

"No. We wanted you to be among the first to know that Carla and I - we're expecting a baby!" He revealed, planting a kiss in her hair softly. She sighed in content, smiling and closing her eyes for a few seconds, wanting to savour the moment.

"That's absolutely brilliant news!" Ken beamed after a short pause, he seemed completely overjoyed, in shock and disbelief, but ecstatic that there would be a new addition to the family.

"Isn't it just!" Peter chuckled slightly.

"Was it planned?" Ken asked, still in delighted shock, knowing that the couple wouldn't rush into a huge decision such as this without the relevant thought and discussion.

"No. Definitely not planned! But a more than welcome surprise." Peter smiled.

The thought of a new addition scared him at first. He didn't think he could do it. He didn't raise Simon as an infant and he certainly wasn't the best father, by his own admission. However, after first seeing how much his wife seemed to want it, he got his head around the idea and now he couldn't imagine why they hadn't decided on having a child of their own before now. It seemed such a natural progression, a symbol of hope and love after all they had been through together, a light at the end of what seemed to be, before this, a never ending tunnel.

-**CS**-

Carla and Peter had only just got through the door of Underworld, and after much deliberation they had decided to tell their staff sooner rather than later. They wanted to share their happy news, it was nothing to hide and their family all knew. Telling their workforce was the last hurdle, not that it was much of one. Carla had found it a relief to get it out into the open, so the baby didn't feel like a dirty little secret. At first, she had been quite apprehensive; worried about what people would think of her. Carla was never the maternal type, then all of a sudden to be expecting a baby, it seemed so out of the blue. But so far everyone has been happy for the couple, and offering tons of support, something Peter realised that Carla needed and wanted now more than ever. She seemed more vulnerable, more willing to accept help, which at times made Peter feel even more guilty. But there wasn't much time for self pity this morning.

The couple came out of the office, and Peter let Carla take the lead. After all, she was going to inform her workforce of a massive change. Carla had discussed with Peter last night about what would happen once she had the baby, when she would return to work and who would look after their child. Peter has been so tempted to brush it off, but knew that Carla wanted, and to an extent liked, the in-depth future filled conversations, they were slowly beginning to have more frequently, about their baby.

The couple had decided that, when the time came, they would see how they felt. Carla had made it very clear that she wanted to spend all the time she could with their little one, knowing that she didn't want her child to feel as neglecting, as unwanted, as unloved as she and Rob did growing up. Peter had reassured his wife that she would have a business to come back to after she had taken all the time off that she wanted, and she trusted him with that. They had also discussed when Carla wanted to go on maternity leave. They settled on the start of October, giving Carla a full month to rest and take care of herself before the arrival of their baby.

"Ok, so before you all find out elsewhere, we want to let you all know that we're going to have a baby!" Carla revealed as she gripped Peter's hand. He engulfed her in a soft hug, showing a rare display of affection at their place of work.

"No way!" Beth commented in disbelief.

"That's fantastic!" Fiz exclaimed.

"Congratulations!" Sean added as the factory seemed to erupt in excited conversation.

"When is it due?" Izzy asked.

"Beginning of November." Peter replied, having already released Carla from their brief embrace.

"Now right. Come on you lot! Let's get this order out on time!" Carla ordered, before going back into the office, followed by Peter.

"Do you think we should have waited?" Carla asked as she looked out of the office window nervously as the noise their workers were making was not dying down, if anything, it was getting slightly louder.

"No." Peter replied softly, sitting down at his desk. "They were going to find out at some point, and I know that you were dying to tell people." He added, as she smiled softly. "They'll settle down in a minute, they're just excited." He told her, as he began to pull up a few emails. "They're like children themselves." Carla joked, as Peter noticed that his wife was still staring out of the office window. He came over and snaked his hands around her, as his hands found her stomach. "This little one is going to be the best thing that's ever happened to us." He told her as he kissed her softly on the neck. "I know." She smiled. "It's going to complete us. You me, Simon and the baby. Our family, complete."

**I've also started writing more like these, scenes during that storyline but with Peter there. This was just the first one I had finished, let me know whether you would like me to publish the others when completed. Big love x**


	2. Stressing

**So, as requested – by a lot of you, here is another short taken from Carla's pregnancy. I was really surprised by the positive response I received on the last chapter and I'm glad that you all loved it as much as I loved writing it. I feel like this is a little unfinished, but I didn't really know where to go with the rest of this chapter and I didn't want to ruin it by carrying on too much, so I hope you can enjoy it with a not-so definitive ending! **

**Any suggestions for other chapters within the nine month time period will be gratefully accepted! Enjoy guys!**

The alarm went off, ringing loud and clear in the room that had previously been filled with sleep. Carla and Peter, with Carla normally more than happy to claim being an early riser, felt annoyance and dread as the sound got louder and louder. The real world beckoned. With the baby due in around two months' time, the parents-to-be were enjoying all the sleep and time alone together that they could get, knowing that just less than eight weeks away, their baby would disrupt life as they knew it. Not that Carla minded, she was secretly more thrilled that she would care to admit to anyone, apart from Michelle and Peter. Her husband, slowly reached out and pressed the snooze button, before being the first one that dared speak.

"Good morning beautiful." He greeted, as he wrapped his arms around his wife, who was still half asleep.  
"Morning." She smiled in response, before turning over to face the love of her life. He admired her beauty. It might have been half six on a school morning, she might have been seven months pregnant, but she looked as good as she ever had done, if not even not even better. It was at that point, that morning, that Peter understood why people say that pregnant women glow, he saw it first-hand.

Carla sat up in bed and placed her hands over her face. "You alright? Feeling sick?" He questioned as he sat up, almost immediately after Carla, placing his hand on her lower back.  
"No, I'm fine." She chuckled. "Stop fussing." She told him, placing her hand on his cheek, smoothing her thumb over his cheekbone gently. "I'm telling you, you'll have a heart attack before the baby's even born if you keep on worrying so much. We're fine." She reassured him, placing her other hand on the bottom of her bump before catching his lips in a kiss.  
"Come on then, I suppose I'd better have a shower before I keel over." Peter joked, pulling away gently from his wife, before getting up off the bed to start the day.  
"Did you iron Simon's blazer last night?" Carla called, as Peter had just left the room.  
"No love, I'll do it once I'm out the shower." He replied, continuing his journey to the bathroom. Carla smiled and sighed slightly, knowing that if she left it to him it wouldn't get done. So, immediately after getting dressed, she went into the living area of the flat and got the ironing board out. She took the blazer, from where it was hanging on the shelving unit and started to iron it. She had just about finished, when her half-dressed husband came out of the bathroom.

"You were quick." Carla commented as he came up behind where she was stood and placed his hands on her bump. "Yeah well, I thought you might like a bath before work, it might help your back, anyway, you shouldn't be doing this. I told you that I would do it after my shower." He told her, kissing her neck softly.  
"What and leave Simon's blazer crumpled to bits on his first day at school, I don't think so." She smiled, as Simon appeared from his bedroom in his pyjamas.  
"Morning." He said, looking nervous, as Peter released his wife from their embrace.  
"Morning son, all ready for big school?" Peter asked, ruffling his son's hair as Carla had finished ironing the blazer and put it back on the hanger.  
"I guess, is Mum coming to drop me off too?" He asked, as Peter stood in the kitchen, making himself and Carla cups of tea.  
"I think so, she should be meeting us there." Carla told him, as Peter smiled, he never thought that Carla and Simon would be able to live amicably together, but it seemed to be working out alright so far. After Leanne and Nick split, her and Eva decided to rent the flat above the kebab shop, but it was too small for the three of them, so Simon had decided that he wanted to live with Carla and Peter, with Simon saying that he didn't mind moving out once the baby was born. But, Carla was having none of it. The couple were moving house in six weeks' time, into a four bedroom house five minutes away from Weatherfield, and she made it perfectly clear to him that he would always have a place with them, baby or no baby.

"What do you want for breakfast, Si?" She asked him, grabbing a loaf of bread and going towards the toaster.  
"You sit down love, I can do that." Peter offered, taking the loaf of bread from Carla's hands.  
"Peter, what did we discuss no earlier than half an hour ago." She warned him, jokingly sending him a glaring look as he handed her a cup of tea.  
"Let me guess!" Simon chipped in. "Something along the lines of: stop fussing?" Simon suggested, as both Carla and Peter laughed at what the eleven year old had just said.  
"Exactly." Carla told Peter, raising an eyebrow, as she went to sit on the sofa.  
"Well, there's no harm in caring, is there?" Peter asked rhetorically, smiling softly at his wife.  
"Can I have chocolate cereal?" Simon asked, looking at his dad, knowing he was pushing his luck, taking advantage of the fact that today was a special day.  
"Go on then." Peter said, as he got a bowl out of the cupboard.

-CS-

It was later on that morning and Simon had gone into the gates of Weatherfield High and barely looked back. Upon seeing a few of his friends, it seemed as if he couldn't wait to start school. Peter and Carla had gone into the factory to work and it was obviously something that Peter didn't want Carla doing. It was becoming increasingly exhausting for her to manage the factory, help with Simon and organise the house move, as well as grow a baby. Despite this, Peter had already agreed to let Carla work up until the start of October, so there was little he could say or do on the matter.  
Having been at work for little more than half an hour, Carla began to felt the baby kick and wriggle. She stopped typing out the email she was planning to send and sat back in her chair, placing her hand on her lower stomach and rubbing where the baby was kicking gently. She smiled softly, looking down at her growing stomach. There was no way that this time last year anyone could have imagined this scenario, Carla Connor seven months pregnant, and seemingly enjoying it.  
"Baby kicking?" Peter asked, as he came into the office with a cup of tea for himself, with Carla having cut her caffeine intake.  
"Yeah" She muttered. "Come feel." She added a beaming smile across her face, as he placed the mug down on the desk. Carla reached out for her husband's hand and sat up in her chair, placing his hand where her own was previously placed. Peter smiled, chuckling lightly, never taking the moments he felt his baby kick for granted. He'd missed out on so much of this when Lucy was pregnant, he was stupid back then. He certainly wasn't going to make any mistakes this time round.  
"You still convinced it's a girl?" Carla asked softly, smiling up at her husband.  
"Well, I mean, judging by the strength of those kicks love, it seems like you've got county playing a five aside in there." He told her, before kissing her softly and sitting back at his own desk. "But in all honesty, yeah, I am. It's going to be a girl." He told her, smiling as she began carrying on with the work she needed to get done.

"You know that the baby can hear everything we're saying." Carla told him, after a brief silence, as she was still typing her email.  
"Yeah?" Peter smiled, hearing his wife talk about their baby is something that he'd never tire of hearing.  
"Yeah, I read it online." She told him, as she shuffled uncomfortably on her seat, an obvious sign that her back was hurting her.  
"Well, you know what else it says online." Peter told her, as Carla sighed, not wanting this lecture again, especially not today, she wasn't in the mood.  
"Not this again, Peter." She told him, as he felt the need to tell her anyway.  
"It says that if you have back pain you need to take it as a warning to slow down and relax." He said, in an unintentionally patronising way.  
"You said I'd have until the start of October." She reminded him, matching his tone.  
"We also weren't planning on Simon staying with us, and moving just two weeks after you go on maternity leave..." He began to list before being interrupted.  
"Well, what do you want me to do about that Peter? Make the sellers move quicker? Tell Simon he has to sleep on Leanne's sofa? Go on maternity earlier? I tell you what, why don't I just go home now and start knitting?" She bit back, Peter struggling to get a word in edgeways.

Carla rose from her seat, making it clear that she wouldn't back down from this argument.  
"Now, come on love..." He tried to reason, standing up almost immediately after her, before being cut off once more by his wife.  
"No, don't. You promised me that you'd let this go - weeks ago, and here we are still discussing the matter. Am I doing anything to harm the baby? No. Am I drinking? No. Am I going to all the appointments? Yes. Am I eating properly? Yes. Has the baby come yet? No. Is the baby showing any signs that it wants to come yet? No, thank God." Carla said, placing her hand on her hip, her back still playing up. "I've already said that I wouldn't go to any more meetings, see any suppliers, leave the office for anything and don't you dare drag Simon into it!" She added, somewhat upset that he would drag his own son into their domestic like that. "That lad has been as good as gold. Peter, women work right up until their due date, and if you carry on with trying to get me to go on maternity leave earlier than I need to, I will as well." She warned him.  
"Oh come on love, you don't mean that." Peter told her.  
"Don't I? No, I have a better idea. You can go home and I'll stay here and work. I can manage fine here on my own." She told him.  
"Carla..." He said, attempting to approach his wife and calm her down a bit.  
"Peter, I mean it." She told him, stepping back and avoiding contact with him, not wanting to seem weak after he had been trying to convince her to take it easy. "I know what I'm doing. I promise you that if I felt like anything was wrong I would tell you, if everything wasn't ok then I would be the first one out of here, and either back home or on the way to the hospital. This baby matters as much to me as it does to you, I wouldn't do anything to put it in harm's way." She told him, her voice softer than it had been previously. Carla shifted uncomfortably where she was stood, placing her other hand on her bump.  
"I know. I'm sorry love." Peter said, as she leant back on her desk. "Is your back still hurting?" He asked her, coming round to where she was perched and sitting next to her on the desk. Peter placed his hand on his wife's lower back, as she leant back slightly, letting him know that what he was doing was helping.  
"It's killing me." She confessed.  
"Just think, it'll all be over soon." He reassured her, as a small tear fell down her face. Carla wiped it away hastily, but not before Peter had seen that his wife had become emotional. "I love you so much." He told her, planting a kiss in her hair.  
"Listen, I know that you want to keep on working until October, and I'm not going to argue with you, but I do think we should go home now. We can put Sally in charge, the factory will be fine for the rest of the day. There's not much to do here today anyway." He told her. "And if your back gets much worse, we can call the midwife, see if she has any advice." Peter suggested, as Carla looked him in the eye, nodding slightly.  
"I love you." She told him, catching his lips in a soft kiss, before he rose and went to get their jackets and Carla's bag.  
"I'll tell Sally we have an appointment." He told her, as she nodded, staying where she was leaning on the desk.

-CS-

Carla and Peter walked through the front door of the flat, with Peter still carrying Carla's bag. He was adamant that he would do all in his power to make sure that his wife was ok, or at least doing as well as she could be in her condition. He put her stuff down, as she took her jacket off, placing it on the sofa. Peter came and stood in front of his wife, planting a soft kiss in her hair.  
"Do you want me to run you a bath love?" Peter asked, as he ran his hands down her back, as she leant into him, resting her head on his shoulder.  
"Can we just stay here for a bit?" She asked him, her voice obviously drained.  
"Of course we can love." He told her, as he continued to massage her back. "Hey, why don't you try going on the ball?" Peter suggested, referring to the birthing ball that currently stood in their utility cupboard beside their kitchen.  
"Yeah, I might do that." Carla sighed exhaustedly, standing up straight slowly, letting Peter go and get the ball. He brought it round to her, placing it in front of the sofa. Carla sat down carefully on it, with Peter sitting in front of her, offering her support.  
"I didn't think it would be this hard." Carla admitted. "I knew it would be painful but I didn't think that the pain would be this bad until I went into labour." She added, with Peter immediately experiencing concern for his wife and unborn child.  
"Do you think it might be labour?" He asked her, as the baby began to kick, and Carla reached out for his hands.  
"No, definitely not." She replied, knowing that the baby didn't feel nearly ready enough to come yet, and she had a gut feeling the baby would be as stubborn as it's father, and would probably arrive late. "What I do know is, that this little one," Carla began, taking one of Peter's hands and placing it on her bump, "is going to be so worth it." She smiled as the baby continued to kick softly beneath it's father's hand. Peter smiled, giving Carla a soft kiss on her cheek, the pair basking in the natural silence that had now fallen upon them and enjoying just being together, knowing that their world would soon turn into a chaotic tornado of nappies and baby sick.  
"Is the ball helping?" Peter asked, ending the silence after about a minute, as he stroked Carla's bump in an attempt to comfort both his wife and his unborn child.  
"Yeah, it is actually." She told him, a small smile appearing on her face.  
"That's good." He told her. "Can I get you anything?" He asked her, as she chuckled slightly, laughing at the fact that her husband was still, in her mind anyway, fussing far too much.  
"No." She smiled. "You've already done enough anyway." She added.  
"Well, it's my job to make sure that you're ok." He told her. "I love you so much, both of you." He confessed.  
"I know, and we love you too." She replied, looking down at her bump and placing a hand on top of Peter's, before gazing into her husband's eyes. She caught his lips in a kiss, before he returned the affection.  
His stressing over her and their unborn child might have been tiring Carla out, but she knew that it was better then him not caring at all. It showed how much he loved them both, and proved how much he really did want a family. It reassured her that he wasn't going anywhere. They were in it for the long-haul and at that moment, when she felt settled and safe, even amongst the pain she was experiencing, she had never felt so content.


	3. Sickness, no sleep

**So, for this one, we've gone slightly back in time. Set when Carla is about nine weeks into her pregnancy, I thought this might make a cute idea.**  
**Thank you all so much for your reviews on the last chapter, it really means a lot every time you guys write reviews – they really make my day. I hope you enjoy this instalment.**

"I don't want to do this anymore." Carla announced, as she was sitting on the side of the bath, her husband just beside her, his hand resting softly in the middle of her back. "Do you still feel like you're going to be sick?" He asked her. It was half four in the morning, and the pair were both exhausted. "I don't know anymore." Carla replied, her voice soft and broken. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.  
The pair had only had about an hours sleep between them, with Carla waking up to a feeling of overwhelming nausea about half an hour after she and Peter had gone to bed. She immediately went into the kitchen, getting herself a glass of water before practically setting up camp in the bathroom. Peter, being a massive support, and proving he was going to be where every step of the way, joined her moments later, having realised the lack of his wife's presence in their bed.

"Why don't you go back to bed, love. I can put the bucket next to the bed if you like, that way you can at least try and get some sleep." He suggested, rubbing her back slightly. Carla thought about it, although she didn't like the idea of throwing up in a bucket, the pair had now been in and out of the bathroom for at least a few hours, and they both desperately needed sleep. "Yeah." She mumbled softly, as he got up slowly next to her, not wanting his sudden movement to make her feel worse, that and he couldn't move faster if he tried, he was absolutely shattered. He helped Carla up slowly and she went into the bedroom.  
Peter got the red bucket from the utility cupboard and half-filled a glass with water, before returning to his wife. She was sat on the bed, against the headboard with her knees up to her chest. Silent tears were making their way down her face, and she attempted to wipe them away as Peter came into the room. He placed the bucket down next to her bed, and the glass on the top of her bedside table, before getting into bed. He motioned for his wife to cuddle up to him as he pulled the duvet up. She laid down next to him before placing her head on his chest.  
"I'm sorry." She told him softly, feeling guilty for having woken Peter up in the first place and disturbing his sleep. "Why are you apologising, eh? It's not your fault. I reckon this little one had a lot to answer for!" Peter smiled, whispering slightly, in an attempt keep the room calm, as he placed his hand very lightly on Carla's stomach, which he hoped helped her nausea. "I just can't help but feel like my body is already failing the baby and I just don't want to do anything wrong." She told him, as she rolled over so that she was back on her side of the bed, her head propped up by a seemingly endless amount of pillows, in an attempt to prevent herself from feeling more nauseous. "You're not doing anything wrong, love." He reassured her, turning over to face his wife. "It's just the hormones in your body, they're making everything unbalanced. The baby is fine. And do you know what, I reckon you'd have more cause for concern if you weren't feeling any symptoms at all." He added, as he ran his hand through her hair, in an attempt to make her feel better. "You reckon Dr Barlow?" She smiled lightly, taking the mick at the fact that he had obviously done his research. "I told you I'd be here every step of the way, and here I am." He told her, as she smiled softly, despite feeling so ill. Having him right by her side seemed to make everything just that little bit better. "I love you so much." She told him, as continued to play with her hair, in an attempt to help her get to sleep. "I love you too." He told her.

-CS-

Two and a half hours later, Carla and Peter were waking up to the cry of their alarm. Peter hastily turned it off, hoping that it wouldn't wake her. But it did. "Morning... again." Carla croaked jokingly, sleep filling and distorting her voice. "How are you feeling, love?" Peter asked her, rolling over and sitting up slightly before running a soft hand through her hair. "Not too bad." She smiled. Although she was still feeling sick, it was no where near as bad as last nights episode. "Listen baby, why don't you go back to sleep. I can handle things today at the factory." Peter offered, as Carla turned to face him properly. "It's fine. I'm fine." Carla told him, which caused him to smile. He was in awe of his wife's strength, and her determination to keep things as normal, even when they weren't. "I know you're fine, but you were up for most of last night." Peter attempted to reason. "I know I was, and so were you." She reminded him. "Look, this could go on for a few more weeks, or even a few months, it could last until I've had the baby. We might as well carry on as normal, or as normal as possible while we still can." She told him. "I just don't want you overdoing it, love." He told her, as she smiled softly at his worry. "I won't." She assured him, as she sat up slowly.  
"I'll tell you what, why don't I nip to the pharmacy and see what they can suggest?" He offered. "I don't think that they can actually give me anything, I haven't actually been sick, it's just this overwhelming feeling." She explained, subconsciously placing a hand on her stomach. "Well, even so, they might be able to suggest something. You can't survive on less than three hours of sleep every night for the foreseeable." Peter told her, as she leant into his side. "I might have to." She sighed, as Peter wrapped his arm around his wife. "I'm sure it'll pass, love, just give it time." He reassured her. "Can I have that in writing?" She asked, as Peter chuckled, before planting a soft kiss in her hair. "Why don't you have a shower? That might help?" He suggested, as Carla sat up straight. "That's not such a bad idea." She told him. "Thank you." She told him sincerely, looking into his eyes, an exhausted smile painted on her face. "You don't need to thank me, love." He told her. "Although, this little one, better not be this much trouble when it arrives!" He exclaimed, as he placed a hand on her flat stomach. "I love you." Carla reminded him. "I love you too."

**I don't really dedicate chapters to anyone or anything like that, but my Nan passed away on the day after I posted my last chapter, after a very short battle with cancer. She encouraged me to do everything that I loved and be creative, when I felt my mother saw achievement as only academic. Whether it be writing or performing, she was my number one fan and was so proud of everything I did creatively, so this is one of the reasons why I wanted to dedicate this chapter to her. This life goes too quick, be creative, be kind to one another, be kind to yourself, and never take things for granted. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter, I'm sorry it's so short. x**


	4. Simon's worry

OK, so chapter time! Thank you all for being so patient. Set around nineteen weeks into Carla's pregnancy. Simon moved in around a week ago, after Leanne moved in with Eva. I hope you guys like it!

Carla, Peter and Simon were sat on the sofa, watching typical evening television. They were watching a nature programme that Peter had seemed to become engrossed in, and Carla was willing to tolerate. It was a calming programme and after a stressful week or so, it was nice to just spend some time together as a family unit. They weren't yet used to it, but Carla and Peter both suspected it would soon become the norm. It wasn't very late at night, they hadn't had dinner yet, but it was late enough for Simon to feel the need to go to bed. For some reason, he had been acting out of character that day. It wasn't like he was acting badly or was making life difficult, but he seemed to be quieter than normal.  
"Night Dad, night Carla." Simon called, as he got up from next to his father the sofa, deciding to go to his room to bed, without being prompted to do so. "You going to bed, son?" Peter asked, as Carla looked at her husband cautiously, with them both exchanging a glance that questioned the boy's reasons for wanting to go to bed. "Yeah." He replied quietly, already half way to his bedroom door. "Ok, well, see you in the morning." Carla told him softly, a worried expression taking over her face. With that, Simon had gone into his bedroom.  
"Something's not right." Carla told her husband, as they watched the boy close the door. "You're right." Peter confirmed. "This really isn't like him." He added, as he turned to face Carla. "You don't reckon that he's being bullied again, do you?" She asked him. "I don't know, love." He replied, as he sighed. Carla moves closer to Peter, resting her head on his shoulder, as he wrapped his arm around her waist.  
"It could be moving here." Peter thought aloud. "Maybe he's just struggling without Leanne around. Maybe I'm not enough for him. I mean let's face it - I've hardly been a good role model, or a permanent fixture in his life, have I? I'm not good for him." Peter worried.  
"Don't say that, of course you are. You're the best Dad in the world." She responded, in an attempt to reassure him. The last thing she wanted right now, was for Peter to feel inadequate as a father, especially with a new baby on the way, and the twenty week scan in less than a weeks' time.  
"No I'm not Carla, let's not pretend that I am." He almost snapped, batting away her attempt to make him feel better about Simon's struggles.  
"You are." She confirmed. "It could be anything that's made him unsettled, couldn't it." She reminded him. "The thought of moving schools, friends..." She listed. "Why don't you just go and talk to him. Try and work out what's going on in that head of his." Carla suggested, as Peter shuffled in his seat a little, before releasing his arm from around Carla. "I'll go and do that now." He announced, standing up as Carla flashed him a smile of reassurance.  
Peter knocked on the boy's door softly before he entered. Simon was in bed, but definitely wasn't sleeping. He was reading his reading book, with the lamp on his desk providing just enough light that he could see without straining his eyes too much.  
"Good book?" Peter asked him, as Simon looked up to his father, before shutting the plastic covered reading material and placing it next to him.  
"Not really." He replied, as Peter turned the main light on and came to sit down on the end of Simon's bed.  
"What's the matter, son?" Peter asked. He gave the lad a look of reassurance, letting him know that he could tell his father anything.  
"I know you don't want me here forever." Simon revealed, not giving Peter any eye contact.  
"Well, hopefully you won't be living with us when you're forty!" Peter joked, although he noticed that his son wasn't finding the conversation funny.  
"When the baby comes, you're going to have no room." Simon told him. "I heard Carla say that this morning." He added, as the child started to fiddle with his hands, in an attempt to distract his mind from the thought of bursting into tears.  
"Well, we aren't." Peter responded, as Simons face completely dropped. "But what has that got to do with anything?" Peter asked.  
"That means I'll have to go and live with Leanne." Simon told him. "You and Carla will want my room to keep the baby in, and I won't see you anymore." Simon added tearfully.  
"Oh son, that won't happen." Peter told his son, his voice full of soft reassurance. "Listen, you are not going anywhere." He added. "Me and Carla have been talking about getting a new place for a while now, big enough for all four of us." He reassured his son. "It'll take a bit of time to find one that is just right for us, but we will move before the baby comes, even if it kills me." He explained, his final remark making Simon smile, just for a second. Moving was something that the couple had talked about frequently, especially when Carla couldn't sleep, or they had a quiet five minutes at the factory. It was something that they wanted to happen, and that needed to happen – even before Simon came to live with them. Carla had told Peter how she wanted nothing more than to raise the baby in a large house, with a big enough garden to play football in, and whenever she spoke about the future living arrangements, Simon was always a firm part of it. Times really had changed.  
"Why don't we order some Pizza?" Peter suggested, his voice a little more upbeat having assumed that the serious conversation was over with. Simon shook his head softly.  
"I'm not hungry." He replied.  
"Oh, come on!" Peter jokingly remarked, nudging Si' slightly. "I don't think I've ever seen you refuse Pizza in your life!" He added, before a few seconds of silence fell over the room. Sensing that his son needed some more reassurance, Peter placed his hand on his boy's knee, before speaking. "Just because you'll have a new baby brother, or sister, it doesn't mean that I'll love you any less." Peter said warmly.  
"You don't know what will happen, you'll have the baby and we won't spend any time together anymore. It'll just be all about the baby." Simon mumbled, folding his arms. "You won't want me around anymore." He added, as Peter was running out of ways to reassure his son that the new baby wouldn't be replacing him.  
"Listen son, you don't know what'll happen either." Peter reminded him, as Carla poked her head around the door. "The baby isn't going to replace you, it could never do that. And, yes, I'll want to spend some time with the baby, but it doesn't mean I won't still want to spend time with you." He added, as Carla smiled watching as Simon reached out and hugged Peter tightly. She left them to it and decided to go into her and Peter's room, seeing that Peter definitely didn't need any backup.  
"I'll tell you what, why don't we just sit and talk, that way you might feel a little more included in things?" Peter suggested, as Simon sat up, returning to his original position on the bed.  
"Over Pizza?" Simon suggested in return as Peter chuckled.  
"Definitely over Pizza!" Peter confirmed, glad that his son seemed to be a little bit happier. Peter stood up, as Simon followed suit, and they both went into the living area.  
Peter went into the kitchen and fetched the pizza menu from the draw next to the sink. "You chose what you want to have, and I'll go see what Carla's having." Peter told his boy, before going to find his wife.

He soon found Carla, sitting on the edge of the couple's queen-size bed. She had her right hand placed on her bump, her left hand holding a soft white bear that the couple had bought just a few days after the first scan. They had later vowed to buy nothing else until Carla was further in her pregnancy, as a precaution, with the couple both being cautious, even if unwilling to admit it.  
As Carla looked down at the teddy, she wondered whether having a baby was a good decision. It wasn't that she didn't want the baby she was carrying; she wanted the baby more than anything, but at a time that seemed so uncertain, and with the couple being so unorganised, the baby so unplanned, she wondered why – if everything happens for a reason – it had happened now?

"You ok, love?" Peter asked, as he reached out and grabbed the bear from his wife, before placing his other hand in its place.  
"Is Si' OK?" She asked him, as she got up from the bed, and enveloped him in a hug, enjoying the closeness and warmth after being so deep in thought.  
"I think he's just feeling a little pushed out of place." Peter revealed, with Carla slowly and reluctantly pulling away from her husband, sighing slightly, thoughts swirling around her head. Little worries and niggles she wanted nothing more than to share with her husband, but at the forefront of all of those, the way Simon would respond in a few months time, if he was feeling so upset and unsettled about family life now.  
"The baby isn't even here yet. How's he going to feel when it's born?" She asked, stressing slightly that her step-son and new baby wouldn't bond. What if he found living with her and Peter too hard when the baby is born? That would crush Peter, knock him flying off his feet. She couldn't have that if she had a new born to deal with too, she felt she wouldn't, couldn't manage if that happened.  
"I think he'll be fine. He'll love being a big brother, I just think living with us full time is going to take him a little getting used to. I do reckon it's not being with Leanne has thrown him, though." Peter sighed. "I told him that we'd have a long conversation over food, just talk about everything." He added, as Carla nodded in agreement with the idea. Peter was probably right, and she was probably worrying over nothing. She had been worrying a lot more over things recently, wondering if it was to do with the changing level of hormones. It was something that she had been meaning to talk to Michelle about. In her seemingly endless amount of knowledge surrounding pregnancy and family life, surely she would know something about why she was feeling the way she was.  
"What are we having tonight?" She asked him.  
"Pizza." He replied as Carla chuckled.  
"What?" He asked, as Carla smiled, shaking her head slightly.  
"We need to start eating properly, cooking, I mean, all we seem to be doing at the moment is ordering takeaways or eating out." She explained, as he nodded and raised his eyebrows slightly in agreement.  
"We'll start tomorrow." He told her, earning another laugh from his wife.  
"We better, I'm not too sure I should be growing a baby on nothing more than pizza and fish and chips." She warned jokingly, as the conversation between the couple seemed to come to a natural end. "Right, I better get my phone. I'm pretty sure I can almost remember the Pizza place's number off by heart." She added, with Peter chuckling softly before planting a soft and loving kiss on her lips.  
"You never answered my question." Peter reminded her, just as Carla reached the door. She turned back to face him, smiling softly.  
"What question was that?" She asked him.  
"Are you ok?" He asked her.  
"Of course." She replied, smiling at his concern. "I was just having a moment." She revealed. "I was thinking about how much our lives are going to change; how unplanned it all was." She added, as Peter walked the few steps to where she was stood, realising it might not just be his son who needs a little reassurance.  
"Seems like tonight is a good night for a big talk about the future then." He smiled, as she leaned into him.  
"I love you." She told him, as Peter wrapped his arms around her.  
"I love you too." He reminded her. The couple stayed there for a few moments, before Carla slowly stood up straight.  
"Let's go order that Pizza!" She exclaimed, going to join Simon in the other room.

****-CS-****

With two family size pizzas on the table, Peter, Simon and Carla were ready to start a conversation that would hopefully put an end to all the uncertainty in the air.  
"So, the move?" Peter prompted Carla, as she got up from where she was sitting, to her bag. She retrieved a very detailed, glossy advert for a five bedroom house about fifteen minutes away from where they currently were. She handed it over to her step-son, as he scanned the images, whilst tucking into his slice of pizza.  
"What do you think?" Peter asked, as Carla sat back down.  
"It looks nice." Simon replied, with a mouth almost full of food, gaining a laugh from his Dad.  
"Looks like we're off to the estate agents tomorrow then." Carla told Peter, raising her eyebrows slightly, with a wide smile on her face.  
"You'll be able to teach the baby football in the garden, when it's old enough." Peter told Simon, pointing to a picture in the corner of the large and very green-looking garden.  
"What if the baby's a girl?" He asked his father, earning a slight chuckle from his Dad, as Carla didn't give Peter a chance to answer.  
"Girls can play football too." She reasoned.  
"Well, you certainly can't, not in those heels, love." Peter remarked, with Carla kicking him playfully under the table.  
"When do you find out what the baby is?" Simon asked. "Mum said you can find out at a scan before it's born." He added.  
"That's only if they can see the baby properly." Carla told him.  
"I thought they could see the baby anyway, that's why they do a scan, to see the baby." He replied, with Peter and Carla sharing a quick glance at each other, glad that Simon was taking an interest in being a big brother, which filled them both with a new sense of reassurance.  
"The baby needs to be in a certain position to be able to tell whether it's a boy or a girl. When they're this small, they can move around a lot." She told him.  
"That's a point though love, when is the next scan?" Peter asked her.  
"Next week, Tuesday." She replied, watching Peter's face subtly light up at the thought of being able to see his baby again.  
"Do you want to come, Si?" She asked him, as he seemed confused as to why she was asking him to come too.  
"Yeah, come and see your little brother or sister." Peter encouraged.  
"I've got school." He informed them.  
"I'm sure we can take you out for the afternoon." Peter suggested.  
"We won't need to. It's at quarter past four." Carla informed him, as Peter slumped back in his seat.  
"Well then, that's plenty of time." He added, looking at his son with a wide smile on his face.  
"That's if you want to go?" Carla asked Simon, searching for a definite answer from the boy.  
"Are you sure? Don't you two want to go on your own?" He asked in response.  
"You're more than welcome to come if you want to." Carla smiled, as he smiled back at her. She was making a real effort to make sure that he felt included and part of the family, and to her credit, she had been doing ever since she found out she was pregnant.

Over the rest of their tea, the three of them spoke at length about what they each thought the future would hold. No definite promises, just plans and ideas. It seemed enough for now. It had been enough to make Simon feel more comfortable and it also gave him the time and opportunity he needed to open up more about how he was feeling.  
By the time it was actually time for him to go to bed, he certainly seemed a lot happier than he had been only a few hours previously.

****-CS-****

"You know, I think Si is really on board with having a little brother or sister." Peter mused, as he was sitting up in bed, waiting for his wife to join him. Carla was by the wardrobe, putting away some of her clothes.  
"I don't think he ever disliked the idea. Do you remember his reaction?" She asked in return smiling at the memory of her stepsons joy and excitement at the idea of having a sibling. "I think it's just all this stuff with Leanne, it seems so unclear, almost as if Simon doesn't know where he stands any more." She told him. "Correct me if you think I'm wrong?" She asked, as he shook his head before letting his wife continue. "Maybe we should have a word with Leanne." Carla suggested, closing the wardrobe and turning to face Peter.  
"And say what?" Peter questioned, almost defensively, making it obvious that he didn't think it to be a good idea. "She'll just think we're not coping." He expanded, as Carla sighed.  
"She won't think that." She tried to assure him, using a soft tone of voice. "I mean just talk to her about regular visits and stuff. To reassure Si, you know." She explained, as she ran her hand through her hair effortlessly and without thought. After a few seconds of silence, Peter decided to break the rooms sudden change in atmosphere.  
"You look beautiful." He complimented, changing the subject completely, as she internally blushed.  
"Oh Peter, stop it." She told him, turning away his compliment, as she finally joined him in bed.  
"You do." He confirmed, reassuring her softly. "Even more so now than the day I met you." He added, as he took in her beauty. Her fresh face, her hair let loose, her demeanour certainly more relaxed than most people would ever see. He meant every word he said to her, even if she didn't want to believe it.  
"I'm serious Peter." She mockingly warned, his compliments cheesy, not that she completely disliked them. Normally, she'd smiled smile, gratefully accept his compliments, making sure that he received thanks in the form of a soft kiss. Today however, she felt a little uneasy about the way she looked, the way she felt. The pregnancy was changing her body, not that she minded all too much. She knew that it'd all be worth it in the end, but she couldn't help but feeling a little uneasy about how she looked. Peter sensed this, before giving her his response.  
"Me too." Peter smiled back, as she smiled back at him. "I love you so much." He reminded her. "You're going to be the best mum to this little one." He told her, as he wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand settling on her slightly rounded stomach. "In fact, you already are." He confirmed, before she enveloped into his side. He placed a soft kiss into her hair.  
After a few minutes of staying cuddled, sat up on the bed, the pair eventually decided to settle down under the duvet and fall asleep - with Carla still in Peter's reassuring and comforting embrace. He had hoped that the way she was feeling wouldn't continue for much longer. He had noted a slight change in her demeanour over the last few days and he couldn't stand it. It hurt him a little to see her like this, and he'd wished that she could see herself through his eyes. There had to be a way of making her feel better about herself at this point during her pregnancy. Maybe seeing the baby next week would make all the difference?

I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your love, support, and the really kind messages you left for me on the last chapter. They each meant a lot to me and I appreciate every single one of you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. X


	5. Scare

I hope you all are staying safe during these scary times. If anyone is struggling, or just needs someone to talk to, my DM's are always open.  
I owe a massive thank you to CarlaConnor Lover, for suggesting this!  
Hello Amber, if you're reading! I hope this is enough Carter to make your evening a little better.

Let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see in the next chapter.  
I hope you all enjoy!

At fourteen weeks pregnant, the couple and everyone around them were beyond excited at the prospect of Peter and Carla having a baby. It seemed unlikely to begin with, but it was obvious to everyone around them that surprisingly, this is what the couple wanted. The fact that they were going to have a baby had well and truly sunk in for Peter and Carla, both of whom had already begun to make plans for when the baby was born, although both parents-to-be were apprehensive about setting their plans in stone before Carla had her twenty week scan.

To start off with, it was a normal Thursday, with the couple getting up as usual.  
"Morning, love." Peter smiled, as Carla came into the living area. She was already dressed, but was fresh-faced and her hair scraped up, having not had time to do her hair or make-up yet. Peter could see that she wasn't feeling the best. She looked pale, which was a clear sign that she was still feeling sick, despite her insistence that the worst of her morning sickness was now over. He handed her a mug of tea, as she sighed softly, turning around and leaning back on the kitchen unit. Peter came round to where she was standing, wrapping his hand softly around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her stomach, being careful not to cause her any discomfort. "How are you feeling?" He asked her sympathetically, as she turned to him tiredly. "I thought this would have subsided by now." She told him, resting her head on his shoulder, as he held her closer. "I take it you're still feeling sick then." He told her as she hummed in response, not having the energy to muster a simple 'yes.' "You don't have to go in today love, not if you're not feeling up to it." He explained, as Carla slowly pulled herself away from the love of her life. "No, I'll be fine in a minute." She replied, placing her hand on the slight bump that she had begun to develop, and going to sit on the sofa. "We can manage without you, you know." He assured her, in an unintentionally patronising tone. "I want to keep busy, it'll take my mind off of feeling so dreadful." She reasoned, shifting her hand slightly across her abdomen, as a small cramping pain began to develop. Cramping was something that Carla had slowly gotten use to over these past few weeks, it was normally a sign that sickness would ensue, so she was sure that it was nothing to get worried about. "Even so love, I think you should be taking it easy." He replied softly, sitting at the table, facing his wife, with a mug of his own in his hand. "Peter, this might carry on for the next five, six months. I don't want to start taking time off now. We need all the money we can get!" She joked, as Peter chuckled slightly, before sighing. "Well, I suppose you are right there love - babies aren't cheap!" He confirmed, as Carla checked the time, before got up from where she was sat on the sofa. "I'm always right." She reminded him, grinning, as she placed a soft kiss on his lips, before making her way to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead.

All day, there was something not quite right. Carla definitely knew that something was different, but she'd managed to convince Peter, and nearly herself, that everything was fine and this was all just another normal part of the pregnancy.

It was getting later into the evening, and both Carla and Peter were still at the factory. Despite reservations about his wife working too hard, he knew that she didn't want to be wrapped up in cotton wool, she had made that pretty clear to him over the last few weeks.  
It was around five thirty, the workforce had long gone, and the couple were just finishing up for the day. They had Simon the next evening so they knew that they wouldn't be able to get any work done in the peace and quiet that the couple seemed to love.  
"I'm nearly done here if you are, love." Peter told her, raising an eyebrow slightly, trying to scope what kind of mood she was in and eluding to the fact that he'd rather be at home.  
"Yeah, I'm pretty much finished." She declared. "I'm just going to nip to the ladies, then we can go home." She told him, smiling softly, as Peter sat back in his chair, relaxing for the first time today. He couldn't wait to get home and put the everyday stresses of life and running a business behind them, if only for a few hours.

His peaceful thoughts were interrupted by sheer panic, as Carla burst back into their office. "Peter, I'm bleeding." She told him, with tears in her eyes. "I think it's the baby." Carla admitted, as Peter immediately got up from his desk chair. Panic consumed him, although he knew that he needed to keep a clear mind. His wife and his unborn child mattered so much to him, he couldn't let them down when they needed him the most.  
"Alright love, just stay calm. I'm going to take you to the hospital, just to get you checked out, but there's no need to worry, because everything's going to be fine." He reassured her, trying to tell himself at the same time. Flashing his wife a reassuring smile, he quickly grabbed his car keys from the desk before leading her to the car, wanting to waste no time.

Peter's attempt at remaining calm and composed had no effect on the worry that Carla had.  
In the car, on the way to the hospital, she couldn't help but think that this was all her fault. That it was a result of not listening to Peter and not taking it easy.  
"Do you think we need the folder that the midwife gave us?" Carla asked him, as she started to take her mind off of the larger worries circling in her mind, by worrying about more trivial ones. "No love, I'm sure they have a copy of it all on the computer." Peter replied, as he reached out for Carla's hand, sensing that she needed more than just words to comfort her.  
"I knew there was something wrong this morning." Carla confessed, with tears rolling down her cheeks, unable to stop them from filling her eyes. "I was feeling so tired and having these cramp things, but I thought it was just normal." She rambled, getting more upset. "What if I've lost it, what are we going to do? I mean, people already think that I'll be a rubbish mum. I've proved them right, haven't I?" She questioned, torturing herself.  
"Sweetheart, none of this is your fault, and the baby is going to be absolutely fine." He reassured her, squeezing her hand gently in support. "I reckon you were right and this is all just normal." He added, wanting nothing more than to believe the words that he was telling his wife.  
"How can it be normal, Peter?" She asked, her voice now shaky and tear stained, which broke his heart even more. This baby was so unplanned, unexpected, but keeping it had turned into easily one of the best decisions that the couple had ever made. It just seemed to right. To have it ripped away, right here, right now, would just be cruel.

When the pair arrived at the hospital, Carla was whisked away and taken to a room in the maternity ward to be checked over, with Peter being left in the corridor of the unit.  
A little further down the corridor, he could hear the faint but piercing cry of a new baby. He looked up to the heavens, wishing for nothing more than for his baby to be alright.  
In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to have a drink. It would certainly take the edge off but he knew that it wouldn't be fair on Carla; she had more than enough to deal with right now. He must have been waiting in the corridor for no longer than ten minutes, before a nurse came and found him.  
"Are you Peter?" The young woman asked.  
"What's happened?" He asked, fearing the worse.  
"We're just going to take her for a scan now, just check how little one's doing, but she'd like it if you were there with her." She explained, her voice gentle and light. He noted her tone of voice, how she didn't seem too concerned, but he also knew that she had probably been highly trained in keeping calm when things were anything but. "If you'd like to follow me." She added, as he was lead to a room, where Carla was already waiting.

Carla was lying on a black bench, with her top rolled up, with a Doctor sitting on a stool next to an ultrasound machine.  
"You're Peter, I take it?" The doctor asked, reaching out to shake Peter's hand. "I'm Doctor Banks, I'm a consultant here, and I'll be conducting an ultrasound scan today, just checking that everything's ok with the baby." He explained, before Peter came and stood next to Carla on the opposite side to the consultant.  
Peter took his wife's hand, pressing it to his lips before planting a gentle and reassuring kiss on her knuckles. Not daring to let go of her hand, he looked down at Carla. She refused to look up at him and he could tell how terrified she was at the prospect of anything being wrong with the baby. Her eyes were transfixed to where the screen was, despite not being able to see anything, as the Doctor started the scan, placing the probe on her lower stomach.  
Their hearts both stopping momentarily, as they waited to see what their future held. It seemed as if they were waiting an eternity, before the doctor turned the screen round to face the couple. Much happier emotions overtook the couple as they let out synchronized sighs of relief. On the screen, as clear as anything, their baby - with a clear and strong heartbeat.

-CS-

"I'm really happy with how everything looks." The doctor told the parents-to-be as he concluded the scan. "What about the cramps and the bleeding?" Peter asked, wanting to know whether the symptoms his wife was experiencing were abnormal. Carla sat up, rolling her top down. Now knowing that there was nothing wrong with the baby, she wanted nothing more than to get home after such an unexpectedly stressful day.  
"Bleeding isn't as uncommon in pregnancies as some sources may suggest, and the cramping may be the start of ligament pain, which is essentially pain that you'll get as your baby grows, although it is always best to come in and get checked out. Better safe then sorry." He commented, as Peter wrapped his arm around his wife.  
"Thank you so much, I really appreciate this." Carla told him. "I'm just sorry I wasted your time." She commented, as Peter took his arm from around his wife, and switched to hold her hand.  
"Don't be sorry at all, you did the right thing, coming in." The nurse commented, smiling brightly.  
"Absoloutely." The consultant concurred. "Now, hopefully, we shouldn't be seeing you until your next midwife appointment, but if you have any more concerns, please don't hesitate to come back in."

-CS-

It was around half ten, and the couple had taken the decision to retire to their bed and have an early night, after their panic filled afternoon.  
"I hope this little one knows how much of a fright it gave us today!" Peter commented, as he placed his hand on top of Carla's stomach.  
"As long as they stay healthy in there, I don't care about anything else." Carla told him, placing her hand on top of his, feeling nothing but content as she cuddled up to her husband.  
"You are going to be such an amazing Mum." He gushed, smiling widely at the beauty she exuded when talking about their child.  
"Well, I don't know about that!" Carla replied flippantly. Peter was slightly taken aback. After all the worry that she went through today, after how worried she was at the prospect of losing their baby, she still obviously doubted her abilities to be a good mother to their child. This was something that Peter knew would take time to convince her otherwise, but wouldn't dwell on it too much tonight. He was just happy to have his wife next to him, and to know that his baby was safe.  
"I do." He concluded, planting a kiss in Carla's hair. "This baby is the luckiest little one in the world to have you as it's mum, and I'm even luckier to have you by my side."


	6. ‘She’

**I have written a chapter about moving into their new house, but I'm not completely happy with it yet. So, I hope this one suffices until I get that one up! I hope you're all staying safe. Enjoy! **

It was the beginning of November, and after about a week and a half, Carla, Peter and Simon seemed to be settling into their new home nicely. It finally seemed ready. All the things for the baby were finally set up, ready and waiting for when the little one decided to make their arrival. Although Carla doubted whether it was an actual thing, a nesting instinct had begun to kick in, she wanted everything perfect for when the baby came. Whether this came down to her wanting to prove how much of a good mother she was going to be, or whether it was the hormones, Peter wasn't sure. This didn't make him worry any less. He had promised to stop suffocating Carla, and to stop fussing all the time but as her due date crept closer, he couldn't help but worry.

It was getting late into the evening, as Carla emerged from the couple's en-suite bathroom wearing a nightdress, one of the only items of clothing she felt comfortable in these days. She had been quieter than usual today, which stole Peter's concern.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked her, as Carla sat on the edge of the bed. Peter made his way to her, massaging her shoulders to relieve some of the days stress.

"Fine." She replied softly and abruptly.

"Have you had any more of those practice contractions?" He asked her, making his way down Carla's back, his hands now working on her lower back.

"No, and I would tell you if I had." She confirmed, assuming that he thought she would keep something like that to herself. "I've just been thinking, that's all." She confessed, turning round to face him, as he retreated to his side of the bed.

"Yeah? What about?" He asked her casually, placing an arm around her shoulders, as she leaned back against the headboard.

"Just about the baby, when it arrives." She revealed, placing a soft hand on her bump.

"What about when she arrives?" He asked her in return, wanting to his wife to share the issues she was facing in her mind, instead of bottling them up.

"You really need to stop saying _she _Peter, because if it's a boy, you'll be disappointed." She warned him, raising an eyebrow.

"As if I could ever be disappointed!" He exclaimed. "I already love this baby so much." He reassured her, placing his spare hand on top of hers.

"So, go on then. What have you been thinking about?" He asked her, keeping a light tone, making sure not to let any of his worries shine through in his voice.

"Just everything really." She told him. "What if we can't cope with a new baby, I mean it's pretty new territory for the both of us. I mean, there's a chance that the baby could come late, then they'll have to induce it, and it's not necessarily going into labour that's scary, because I know that's going to hurt, it's after the birth. I read online that the recovery is one of the hardest parts..." She told him, before Peter interrupted her.

"The midwife told you not to look too much online." He sighed, knowing that she was probably working herself up over nothing.

"I know, but I don't want to be completely unprepared." She explained.

"You won't be. We went to one of those classes." Peter told her, trying to reassure her.

"We went to one class." She reminded him flatly. "We were supposed to go to at least six of them!" She exclaimed, trying to emphasise how much she thought that she and Peter had missed out on.

"It's hardly like we're completely naive or clueless, and we have lots of people around us to help if we need it: Michelle, my Dad and Deirdre, even Tracy and Rob. I know that Simon wants to help out as much as he can." Peter listed, hoping this would reassure his wife.

"But all of those people can't help us if we can't stop the baby from crying at three o'clock in the morning!" Carla worried, as Peter pulled her in closer to him.

"You don't have to worry, love." He told her softly, planting a gentle kiss in her hair. "You are going to be the most incredible mum to this baby. You've already done so much to prove that." He added. Although he was worried about Carla and the baby's arrival, he hadn't stopped much to think about how Carla was feeling about it as the event came closer.

"I haven't though, have I?" She asked rhetorically. "I don't know how I'm going to react when she's actually here. I could turn out to be exactly like my mother." She added, her voice laced with what she classified as serious concern. She thought there was always a possibility of inheriting her own Mum's parenting skills, and although she was determined not to be like her, Carla couldn't help but wonder whether it was in her genes to be a bad mother.

"You won't turn out like your Mum!" He chuckled. "I know how much you already love the baby." He reassured her, You may not realise it, but you've gone through so much these last few months; the sickness, backache, practise contractions and you've worked through it all, making sure that everything's ready. We know what we're letting ourselves in for, and we're not kidding ourselves. I love you and this baby so much." He told his wife. "And don't call the baby _she _otherwise you'll be disappointed if it's a boy." He told her sarcastically, repeating her earlier words and smiling widely, garnering a laugh from his partners lips. Peter gently used his thumb to turn Carla's head, so that she was facing him, allowing her to see the level of seriousness, passion and love in her husband's eyes. "Carla, you're going to be a brilliant Mum." He added, as she caught his lips in a kiss.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" He asked, pulling away slowly, already missing the contact he had with Carla.

"Go on then." She replied. "I need to dry my hair." She told him, sitting up, and going over to the table in the corner of the room, where her hairdryer was.

-CS-

Peter returned upstairs to find that Carla was not in their room. With a quick scan of the landing, he soon discovered where she had gone. The door to the room that was soon going to be their baby's nursery was slightly ajar, with soft yellow light seeping out of it. He decided to take the mugs he was carrying into the unborn infants room, and join her.

"You honestly don't need to worry." Peter told Carla, as he carefully opened the door, balancing the cups of tea in his hands. Carla came over to him, taking her mug, before going back to where she had been – the corner of the room.

"I wonder what it will be like, when the baby's here." Carla mused, the hot drink in her hand warming her hands.

"I don't think it'll be as hectic as you think." Peter replied, taking a sip to tea.

"I don't think you know me very well." She remarked.

"Well, that's the problem, Mrs Barlow, I know you too well." He smiled, coming to where she was stood, and placing his arm around her waist, so his hand fell onto her stomach. He smiled wider, as he felt his unborn child softly moving beneath his fingers.

"Has it been moving like this all day?" He asked her, noticing that the baby had seemed to be moving much more in recent days. Carla nodded softly, rubbing her lower stomach with her free hand.

"I think I might have a wander around the house in a minute, see if that settles them." She told him.

"And you think you're not going to be a good enough Mum." He laughed to himself.

"I just don't feel ready." She confessed.

"What don't you feel ready for?" Peter asked her softly, tracing his hand round to her back, applying light pressure.

"All of it!" She exclaimed, as he chuckled at her worry. "I'm glad to see you think it's funny." She added. "It's not you that's got to push a baby the size of a bag of sugar out of you, is it?" She asked rhetorically, as Peter could see yet another thing that was making his wife so anxious.

"You'll do amazing." He promised, rubbing her back in support.

"I'll be a nightmare. I won't know what to do." She stressed. "What if I can't remember what I need to do and how to breathe properly. I can't do it on my own, I've never done it before." She panicked.

"There'll be loads of people at the hospital that can help, and you've got your plan." He reminded her cheerfully, trying to lift her spirits and relieve some anxiety.

"Yeah, but it could all go wrong." She replied.

"So what if it does?" He asked her casually, going to drink from his mug once more.

"That's easy for you to say, you're not the one going through it." She retorted. Although she knew he was only trying to help, she felt as if it was too easy for Peter to say these things, just to try and pacify her.

"I'll be there with you, every single moment. If you need someone to remind you how to breathe, someone to scream at - if you need someone to punch! I'm not just going to let you do it on your own." He assured her, taking her by the hand, and planting a kiss soft and confirming on her temple.

"She's nearly here, this is the last little bit. I'm sure it's normal to worry a little bit, but this is the time to be relaxing, taking time out, enjoying it." Peter told his wife, as he attempted to brush off her worries.

"Yeah, you're right. This is the last little bit until we have to wake up in the middle of the night, and we're surrounded by nappies. We should enjoy it." She concluded. "Now, I'm going to walk around a bit and see if this little one wants to go to sleep any time soon." Carla announced, handing her mug to her husband and going towards the door.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Peter asked her, as she began to walk out of the room.

"No, it's fine. You can do the washing up!" She called back to him, as he laughed. "And stop calling the baby 'she'."


	7. Shifting boxes

Chris and Ali were incredible tonight! Here's a chapter to celebrate the absolute masterpiece we were treated to earlier on.

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on the last chapter, reading every single one of them means the world to me! Enjoy the latest instalment!

"So, this is our new home?" Simon asked, as he walked through the door with Carla. "It sure is." Carla told him, as he started to look around the new house. Peter had decided, along with his wife, that it might be better to buy the house first without consulting him too much after they had received his initial thoughts on moving into a bigger place. If he found a place that he really liked, and they the couple didn't secure it, it might have made moving more difficult, and there were already enough things to add into the equation.  
Carla was now thirty-eight weeks pregnant and was certainly feeling it! Everyone had rallied around the couple to help them move in, with Peter taking the day off work - Sally had the factory under control. Rob and Steve were helping Peter shift boxes, and Ken and Deirdre were back at the flat, packing up the last of the couples things.  
"Would you like to come up and see your new room?" She asked him, as he turned back to face his step-mother, his face full of excitement. "Yeah!" He replied, with bundles of energy, which made Carla laugh. "Come on then, come upstairs with me." She told him, as Carla placed one of her hands on her hip, trying to help the backache that never seemed to go away. They both made their way up the cream carpeted staircase, which was just opposite the door as you came in. It separated, the kitchen and dining room, and the living room and what was soon to be the 'playroom.' Carla lead Simon to his new room, which was a pale shade of grey. It had a bed in the corner, next to a large window that faced their new street.  
"I know the colour isn't the best, but you can paint it however you want." Carla told him, as the young boy took in his surroundings. "Can I paint it purple?" He asked, as Carla scrunched her face in confusion, and he sat on his bed. "Purple?" She questioned, before remembering her promise that he could paint the room whatever colour he wanted. "If that's what you want." She told him, still confused as to why he would want his room to be that colour, until she heard her stepson in fits of laughter. "I'm only messing!" He revealed, as Carla came to sit next to him on the bed. "Well, you've said you wanted purple now, so purple it is!" She joked in return. "No!" He laughed, as Carla began to tease him, as she too began to find it funny.  
At that moment, Peter came into the room, to see what he was missing out on. "So, I'm taking it that you like your new room?" Peter asked. "I love it!" Simon exclaimed. "Yeah, and it looks like we're repainting this room to a nice shade of purple!" Carla told Peter, with laughter in her voice. "I was joking!" He replied, looking up to where his Dad was stood. "So, what colour do you really want it, Si?" Carla asked, getting up off the bed herself. "I think I want it red, but can I think about it?" He asked. "Of course you can." She told him. "Do you need any help Dad?" Simon asked him, as he knew that Peter was helping shift boxes. "I think a lot of it is a bit heavy, but you could help Carla and start unpacking it all." Peter suggested, as Simon agreed.  
"What have you brought in first, baby?" She asked him. "I think that nearly all of the kitchen stuff is here now. Si, we've got most of your clothes if you want to start bringing them up. "Where do I put them?" He asked, noticing that he had no chest of drawers or wardrobe. "Rob is going to stay here now and put together all of the furniture, so why don't you ask him to do your wardrobe first?" Peter suggested, as Simon went downstairs to go and find him.  
"How are you doing?" Peter asked him wife, as he pulled her in for a soft hug. "Good, I think that Si is so excited, I don't think he's going to sleep tonight." She smiled, as Peter chuckled. "No? Me neither." He told her, as he placed his hand on her lower back, applying light pressure, sensing Carla was in a little discomfort. "How is your back doing?" He asked her, as she slowly pulled away from the embrace, Peter, not moving his hand from its position, knowing that it helped. "OK, as long as you stay like that for at least the next two weeks." She told her husband, as he came behind her, and began to knead him hands into her lower back, massaging slowly. Carla sighed in relief, as she felt some tension from her back fade. "Maybe you should go and see someone, a Chiropractor maybe?" He suggested. "No, it's fine, I'm pretty sure it's normal. It'll all be over in two weeks time." She told him. "Not if the baby comes late." He reminded her, as Carla groaned. "Don't say that, the baby will hear you and take it as a sign to come whenever it wants." She told him, as he chuckled. "Well then," Peter began, removing both of his hands from Carla's lower back and placing them on her bump, "You, little one, better come out at some point within the next week and a half, otherwise it doesn't sound like your mummy will be very happy." He said, speaking to his unborn child, as Carla placed both of her hands on top of Peter's. "Anytime after Uncle Rob and Auntie Tracy's wedding would be nice. Mummy wants to see Uncle Rob get married." Carla added, speaking softly to her baby. "I think that the baby's asleep." Carla revealed, as she turned to face Peter. "Yeah? How do you know?" He asked her, finding it fascinating whenever she spoke about their baby. "Baby's not moving much at the moment, normally if it's awake, it'll kick or wriggle periodically, but I think that right now, they're sleeping." She told him, placing her hand on her bump. "Anyway, I'd better make a start on the kitchen." She added, before she went downstairs, with Peter following close behind her.

"Morning." Rob greeted Carla, as he walked through the front door of his sister's new home, carrying yet another box of stuff. "So, I'm doing Simon's things first, yeah?" He confirmed. "Yeah, if you could, that would be great." Carla replied, as Peter kissed her on her temple, before going to unpack more stuff from the van.  
"How are you doing?" Rob asked his sister. "I'm good, I just can't wait until this is over." She told him. "You haven't got long to go now, have you?" He asked her. "Just under two weeks." She revealed as a wide smile lit up across his face. "I don't know who's more excited, you or Simon." She remarked, as Rob laughed. "I just can't wait to be an uncle!" He told her. "I've noticed." Carla smiled, raising her eyebrows slightly. "As long as it doesn't come before your wedding, that's all that matters." She added. "I think you and the baby matter more than a wedding." Rob told her. "I'm not going to miss seeing you get married." Carla said, her voice soft. "I never thought it would happen. I didn't think that I would ever see you settled down." Carla began. "My brother, the heartbreaker, getting a fresh start, owning a business, getting married." She reminisced. "I'm really proud of you, you know." She added. "Well, if you'd have told me two years ago that you would be married with a baby on the way, I wouldn't have believed you. But I can see that you're happy, and you deserve that." Rob said, before Carla pulled him in for a hug.

**CS**

Carla unpacked all the boxes that were in the kitchen and made her way into what was soon to be the nursery. The room looked bare. Painted pastel yellow, the colour was something she was desperate to change. It contained nothing more than the cot that she and Peter had bought, along with the changing table and wardrobe, all of which were in flatpack boxes, and a small box of clothes that they had accumulated during the pregnancy. It was at that point that Carla realised how little she had for a baby that was due in less than two weeks time.  
This filled her with anxiety, but she knew that if the baby came on time, she could get everything done. The baby coming on its due date was something, that logistically, needed to be done. Rob was getting married in five days time, which seemed to be great planning on Tracy's part. This left no room for the baby to be born early. If the baby was born now, it wouldn't even have a room for it to sleep in. Surveying the room, she couldn't help but feel that any other mother-to-be would have all of this sorted by now. They certainly wouldn't leave moving this late. Now was the time to do something about it.  
Carla walked across the landing and into Simon's room, where Rob was building the chest of drawers, and Simon was placing some of his clothes into his wardrobe. "Si, do you have a pen and paper?" She asked her stepson. "I think there's some in my school bag, do you want me to get some?" He asked her in response. "Please." She asked, as Rob got up from his position on the floor. "What do you need a pen and paper for?" He asked his sister, walking over to were she was stood. "I've just realised that we have virtually nothing for the baby." Carla stressed, sighing.  
"Is there anything I can help with?" Rob offered. "Do you want me to nip out and get you some bits in?" He asked. "No, it's alright. I'm going to make a list and see what we actually need, because all I know, at the moment, is that apart from some furniture and a small box of clothes, we have nothing." She told him. "Well, just don't worry about it, I'm sure you have plenty of time to get things together." He reassured her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "A week and a half Rob." She reminded him. "All of this stuff should have been sorted months ago." She added, running her hand through her hair. "I mean, you hardly could have done it all in the flat, there would have been no room!" He remarked, smiling softly. "Everything will be fine, you don't need to worry about anything." He added. "I'm sure if you called Michelle tomorrow with a list she would be more than happy to do some online shopping." He mumbled, raising his eyes at the thought of shopping, making Carla laugh.  
"I've got it!" Simon announced, coming into his room before handing a stack of paper and a pen to her. "My hero." She told him, ruffling his hair before thanking him and going back into the nursery.

"Right then, little one, what do we need?" She asked softly, placing a hand on her bump and talking to her child. "From what Auntie 'Chelle said the other day, mummy needs some new things too, so how about we make two lists, eh?" She asked further, her voice still soft, as she placed a hand on her bump, the other hand busy putting pen to paper. "We need essentials first, don't we? Nappies, bottles, a steriliser, because we don't want you getting ill now, do we?"  
Carla continued to talk to her baby throughout the time she was making the list. Her voice remained soft, patient and loving. Carla had made the lists that she needed and had decided that tomorrow would be the perfect day to go shopping with Peter to buy it all. It was at that point that Peter and Steve arrived with another van load of boxes.

Carla went downstairs to greet them and see what else needed doing. "Why don't you rest, love?" Peter suggested, as he came into the house with a box full of Carla's shoes. "I've just had a rest. I made a list of things that we still need to get for the baby." She explained. "Anyway, I hardly think that going through my shoes is going to be a good use of your time." Carla added. "Alright. I'll put these in our room, and you can put them away when we've built the wardrobe." Peter instructed. "Are you staying here now?" She asked. "Yeah. After we've cleared the boxes, Steve's going to take the van back and I'm going to help Rob build all the furniture." He revealed.

**CS**

Six hours later and every piece of furniture had been built. All their clothes had been put away and the couples helping hands had gone home to their families. Simon had retreated to his new room to set up his games console. The couple were cuddled on their new sofa in their living room. The quiet hum of the television keeping them company. Peter had his arm wrapped around Carla's waist, his hand resting on her stomach as he felt their baby kick gently beneath his palm.  
"Peter, I really think we need to start getting the nursery done, otherwise the baby won't have one at all once its born." She told him. "I thought it was going to sleep with us for a while after its born?" Peter questioned, with Carla sighing. Although she couldn't blame him. It was all new to him too, he wasn't around for this part of Simon's life, so they were literally at square one. "They are going to, but that doesn't change the fact that we need nappies, bottles, more clothes and a place to store all of those things." She listed, as Peter nodded slowly. "I know, you're right, love. We can't have this little one going without, can we?" He asked softly, patting Carla's bump softly. "You said you made a list, right?" Peter asked, as Carla nodded. "Well, then, I think online shopping is in order, don't you?" He asked rhetorically, as his wife smiled. He wanted to do everything right when it came to the baby. It was a real chance to prove that he could be a good father, put his past behind him and be a real family man. He too knew that they were leaving it more than a little late. However, he was certain that now they were settled into their new home, everything else would just fall into place.

**Twitter: Lost_Buoy**


	8. Shoes

**Sounds like bit of a strange one, but hopefully quite a cute instalment! I hope you're all keeping safe and well. Enjoy x**

It was a decision that had to be made. Carla's back pain was getting worse and it was becoming harder to walk properly in stilettos, especially over the cobbled streets of Weatherfield.

Last week, she had finally made the plunge and bought a pair of comfy flat shoes to wear. But, she had been putting off wearing them. Although the shoes themselves were designer, and looked nice enough, Carla was worried about her image and what people would say. All her life she had put up a front and as she was scared to let it go.

"Nobody is going to look at you any differently. It's normal to wear comfy shoes when you're six and a half months pregnant. They aren't going to say anything, they won't care." Peter told Carla, smiling softly as he noticed she was looking into the mirror and was paying particular interest to her new shoes.

"I care." She snapped, her face straight and her tone deadly serious.

Knowing that his wife was stressed and worried about the day ahead, Peter made a mental note in his head, to make sure that this conversation didn't turn into an argument, despite the tone she had taken with him unnecessarily. A row was something that wasn't needed, and was the last thing that either of them wanted. Besides, although she was having more than most at the moment, his wife was allowed her off days. He thought as she was having his child, the least he could do is put up with her seemingly pointless stress and upset.

"I know you do." Peter replied, his voice softer as he finished putting his tie on, trying to keep the mood casual in an attempt to move the topic on.

"It sounds so stupid..." She began, as she sat down on the end of the couples bed. "But, I'm giving up my life, my body; my clothes are the only thing that I get to keep." She sighed, stopping herself from saying anymore. She didn't want to sound ungrateful, or like she didn't want the baby. She did. Even if the idea took some getting used to, Carla wanted to have a family with Peter more than anything in the world, but sometimes she felt as if she wasn't herself. She was used to her lifestyle the way it was. It had been something that she had to build from scratch and she was proud of her persona, even if it felt false at times. There was a time and a place for weakness, and she felt as if through the entire pregnancy she was becoming more and more vulnerable and she felt as if the real Carla was being exposed for all to see. It didn't matter too much if Peter saw her softer side. He was her husband, that was a privilege that over time, he had earned - through trust and by sticking by her. But, for everyone else, Peter's family, her workforce, her friends and neighbours, it was different.

Peter sighed silently. Days like this were becoming more frequent. Carla felt more insecure as the pregnancy was changing her body in ways she wouldn't have even thought of. Although he was trying his best to reassure his wife when she was feeling like this, most of the time, he felt as if he was getting nowhere.

"It doesn't sound stupid, love." He told her softly, as he sat down next to Carla on the end of the bed.

"Saying that just makes me feel like such a bad mum." She revealed, heartbroken at the thought of letting her unborn child down.

"You're not a bad mum, far from it." Peter reassured her, taking her hand in his.

"But I'm being selfish, Peter." She told him, looking up to face him. Peter's heart melted, as he saw the sorrow in her eyes. He pulled her into a hug.

"You aren't being selfish." He replied, planting a soft kiss in her hair. "You are the most selfless person I know." He added, as she sat up, pulling away from Peter slowly.

"I love this baby so much." Carla smiled, placing her hand on her bump. "I can't imagine what life would be like if we didn't have this little one on the way." She continued, with Peter snaking his arm around her waist, his hand coming to rest on top of hers. "I don't mean to sound like I don't want the baby." She told him, as Peter nodded, and looked at his partner nothing but love and warmth. "The clothes, the money, the job, the figure... I know none of it really matters, but everything is changing. I am changing so much. I just don't want to lose who I am." She concluded.

It was at moments like this that he wished that she could see herself through his eyes. To him, it didn't matter what she was wearing, or how she looked. She was beautiful regardless. But, he knew that her image mattered. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept her from breaking down.

He also knew that he was lucky. He was one of the only people that saw the real Carla. Behind closed doors, he saw the kind, gentle and loving mother-to-be, not the harsh, sharp-tongued, workaholic.

"You really don't have to worry about that, love." He reassured her. His voice filled with so much love and compassion. "I mean, sure, Baby is going to change the both of us, but I don't think that'll be a such bad thing." He mused.

"You don't?" Carla questioned, as Peter smiled softly shaking his head.

"Of course not." He chuckled slightly. "We're still going to be the same people on the inside. The only difference is that we'll have someone else to love and look after." He explained.

"I'm sorry." She apologised, looking down at the floor. "I'm just not thinking." She added, with Peter removing his hand from it's former resting place, and carefully pressed it onto her lower back. His other hand coming to move her head, allowing her to look up so that she was facing him. With this, the couple we able to make some much needed eye contact. She could see the sincerity in his eyes when he told her what she needed to hear, and what he felt. "You don't need to be sorry." He told her. Peter's voice was soft and low, bringing Carla comfort and calming her down.

"I know how much you're giving up to have this baby and I'm so grateful." He revealed. She began to tear up; yet another sign of ever present hormones. "I promise, I'm going to be there every step of the way." He added, catching her lips in a soft and meaningful kiss.

"Even if I'm only wearing flat shoes?" She dared to joke, laughing slightly as he chuckled with her. Peter wiped a stray tear from her cheek, still gazing into her eyes.

"You could be wearing clogs, wellies or you could go barefoot. It doesn't matter. I'll still be right by your side."

**Twitter: Lost_Buoy **


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